Today, I'd like for you to prepare for presentations by using the following questions to manage your efforts.

Research & Content:

Does your presentation & its visual elements rely primarily on scholarly, credible research? Do you base your arguments on facts, data, and statistics that you have found to support your claims? Is this evidence woven throughout the entirety of your presentation?

Are you able to answer questions from your audience? Do you support your answers with evidence?

Is the content of your presentation based on the culmination of the research you have conducted that has led you to your claims, rather than simply your own personal opinion?

Does the oral presentation thoroughly address the contextual (historical/biographical/sociological) aspects of your issue?

Organization:

Is there a logical flow to your oral presentation?

Are your presentation materials (powerpoint/website/visual aids/handouts) organized in such a way that it makes sense to the viewer?

Is the presentation well timed-out in order to adequately explain the content without going too long?

Oral Presentation:

Did you avoid reading off a script or directly from your note cards? Did you avoid reading your power point slides, or other text-based presentation materials?

Is the oral presentation strong enough to stand on its own? Do the visual aids supplement an already strong presentation?

Does the content of the oral presentation use effective rhetorical devices to try to convince an audience?

Did you come across as credible?

Visual Aspects:

Are colors, symbols, and font styles carefully chosen? Do they convey specific meaning?

Is the visual presentation eye catching? Does it encourage someone to stop and find out more?

Is the layout appropriate for the message? Is it so busy that it distracts from the overall message? Does the layout look too sparse because of too much unused space?

Do any infographics, statistics, charts, or graphs enhance the presentation or are they distracting because of problems with text size, etc.?

Are there NO misspelled words, grammar or usage errors in any part of the presentation?

Do the visual elements serve a purpose in the argument? Do they help convince your audience?

Are all aspects of the visual presentation professional looking?

Power Point/Slide Show Presentation (if applicable):

Did you avoid putting too much text on any of the slides?

Does the power point enhance and flow with the oral presentation? Do the timing of the slide changes work with the oral presentation?

If there are video clips, are they carefully chosen and incorporated into the power point?

Is the power point visually appealing with interesting elements that encourage someone to watch and listen?

Supplementary Materials:

Does the item serve a rhetorical purpose (does it persuade the audience of something)?

Do the materials promote interactivity from the audience?

Do they distract from the rest of the presentation or enhance the overall effectiveness?

Is the presenter practiced and prepared to use the materials appropriately?

Things to Think About:

On the 9th of May, your essay, as part of your portfolio, is due in Blackboard. Continue working on your drafts as part of your presentation materials and be prepared to submit everything by 10:30 am that day!

Continue communicating with your team about your websites.

You should be building them simultaneously while finishing your individual essays.

Use your ideas from one part of this project to help with the process of composing/constructing/creating the others!